Food Preparation Workers

Career Overview

Perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking, such as preparing cold foods and shellfish, slicing meat, and brewing coffee or tea.

Also Known As

• Cook
• Deli Clerk (Delicatessen Clerk)
• Dietary Aide
• Food Service Worker (FSW)

Alternate Job Titles

• Back of House Team Member (BOH Team Member)
• Cafeteria Aide
• Carver
• Caterer
• Caterer Helper
• Catering Assistant
• Chicken and Fish Butcher
• Coffee Brewer
• Coffee Maker
• Cold Meat Cook
• Cook
• Cook Aide
• Crew Mess Attendant
• Culinary Worker
• Deli Clerk (Delicatessen Clerk)

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities include:

• Clean and sanitize work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, or silverware.
• Assist cooks and kitchen staff with various tasks as needed, and provide cooks with needed items.
• Take and record temperature of food and food storage areas, such as refrigerators and freezers.
• Carry food supplies, equipment, and utensils to and from storage and work areas.
• Remove trash and clean kitchen garbage containers.
• Store food in designated containers and storage areas to prevent spoilage.
• Weigh or measure ingredients.

Emerging Responsibilities

As this field evolves, you may also:

• Check and log refrigerator, freezer, and cooler temperatures.

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

• Oral Comprehension
• Near Vision
• Trunk Strength
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
• Speech Recognition
• Finger Dexterity
• Manual Dexterity
• Speech Clarity
• Oral Expression
• Information Ordering

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

• Dependability
• Attention to Detail
• Cautiousness
• Cooperation
• Stress Tolerance

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

• Relationships
• Support
• Working Conditions
• Achievement
• Recognition

Education & Preparation

Typical Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month

Education Details: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Experience Required: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software

Tools & Equipment

• Belt conveyors
• Blenders
• Bread slicers
• Brick ovens
• Cappuccino machines
• Charbroilers
• Choppers
• Coffee brewing machines
• Coffee grinders
• Combination slicers/electronic portion scales
• Commercial cooking ovens
• Commercial dishwashers
• Commercial microwave ovens
• Commercial ranges
• Commercial stand mixers

Work Environment

• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
• Spend Time Standing
• Contact With Others
• Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
• Importance of Being Exact or Accurate

Salary & Job Market

Salary Percentile	Annual Wage
Entry-Level (10th percentile)	$23,490
Median	$34,220
Top Earners (90th percentile)	$44,260

Workers Employed Nationally: 888,770

Related Careers

If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:

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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.